Tag: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Have I talked about how much I love all the diverse elements Rick Riordan has brought into his books? It’s honestly so nice to see as a person who grew up with the Percy Jackson series. To see the world become more and more real if that makes sense to say in a fictional world where Gods and demigods exist. Heroes of Olympus had such a diverse set of heroes and I might say that made me love it even more than Percy Jackson. Now Magnus Chase is on it’s way to being that way as well.

In this book we have Magnus and friends in search of Thor’s hammer. They have to obtain the hammer before Loki enacts some crazy plan of his. Loki is up to Loki things as always. He’s always got a reason for the things he does. Probably not something that will work out well for the good guys. I mainly want to talk about some of the awesome characters in this book for this review.

Samirah is such an interesting character to me. She is a Muslim girl who is devoted to her faith. She’s also a Valykyrie. I like that we got more conversation on how this all adds up for her. How she is able to reconcile the two very different beliefs. Samirah is a really great character. You really see the toll that being a child of Loki has put on her in this book through her relationship with her sibling Alex. Plus because of everything Loki puts the both of them up against over the course of this book. Loki gets no points in the parent department even if he’s not complete trash all the time. I feel like Alex and Samirah need to meet Nico and Hazel. I feel like they’d be able to compare experiences a little. The stigma with being a child of Loki vs. being a child of Hades. I’d like to see it.

I love Hearthstone and Blitz’s friendship. In the first book you definitely see it but here you see how much they really mean to each other. Blitz is Hearthstone’s family. Hearthstone’s real family didn’t treat him well. Partially because of his inability to hear. Anything different was a problem for them. Hearthstone’s father is really frustrating to read when we finally meet him in this book. It definitely made me want to see more about Hearthstone’s background but also made me excited to see Hearthstone get more powerful going forward. His reverence for the Gods is also really nice to see in this story. I’m ready for more magic use. I didn’t know about the Norse God Vidar. often known as the Silent God. Having Vidar draw a connection to Hearthstone because of it was interesting. Vidar even signs to Hearthstone in a type of sign language only Hearthstone understood. Possible Alf Sign language. It was a really cool moment to me.

I was really excited when Alex was introduced. It’s so refreshing seeing a genderfluid character in a series that spins off from a series I grew up watching. Also, I have to wonder if Alex is Magnus’ love interest. When you read the first Percy Jackson book you already have a feeling who might be endgame. You don’t get that with Magnus Chase book 1. The Sword of Summer. There is definitely a connection between Magnus and Alex in this book that is making me think it could happen.

Magnus reaction to meeting Alex was so well done. Magnus spent most of his life homeless. Living on the streets. He’s met many queer homeless youth in that time. He knows people who are non-binary. He’s been in shelters with people that are Trans and genderfluid before. So he really doesn’t have a big reaction to it at all like a large portion of Valhalla seems to. If Magnus is falling for Alex I’m wondering if Alex is possibly pansexual too. Magnus never has shown attraction to anyone in the series yet so he is an open book in a book that explores many different identities. Maybe Magnus just likes Alex. We’ll have to see. Either way having the protagonist of the series in a queer relationship would be really awesome.

The characters keep me coming back to this series. They are all so great. I love the direction the plot is going. Ragnarok could be coming if our heroes don’t prevent it. Maybe Loki is actually up to something else entirely. I really don’t know. I’m just excited to see more of these characters going forward. Especially some of the new characters we are seeing. The Gods we met were interesting as well. The Norse Gods are something else. I really like the ones that are being incorporated into the story so far. I think I’ll talk more about the book and some other elements in a Youtube video soon. Until then tell me what you thought of the book if you’ve read it and if you haven’t I definitely suggest you try out this series.

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.

I really liked this story. Magnus is a really good main character. He’s funny and a really different kind of demigod.He definitely has a bit of a darker outlook on life. He surprised me with some of his actions in the book.

I really loved the diversity of the main group of characters.It was so refreshing to me. Not just with the racial diversity, which is definitely there with Blitz, TJ, and Samirah.I liked that there were discussions about Samirah’s family, customs, and beliefs.

I also have not read near enough books with characters using ASL. I haven’t read many books with characters that have any disability at all. This book has a central character that is deaf. I really enjoyed reading that.

I loved the Norse Gods personalities. Ran and Thor were so entertaining. I loved the pop culture references. I am so sad I have to wait for book 2 now. I kept looking at the last page when I was done.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Most Anticipated reads for the rest of 2015. This was a lot harder than I expected. Many of the books i’d been anticipating this year are already out. I didn’t actually make it to ten on this one even though I’m sure I could find a few more books coming out later this year that I’d be excited for. I just don’t know about them yet.

1. Ringing True by Piper Vaughn –

“When his boyfriend, Laurie, sweeps him off on a romantic getaway, the last thing Jonah expects is a marriage proposal.” I’m so freaking excited to be getting a second full length story for the Wanting series. jonah and laurie are some of my favorite characters. I know this will be angsty, but i don’t care. i just want more Jonah and Laurie.

2. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan – October 6th

Finding out that there would be a series focusing around Norse mythology after Heroes of Olympus ended was a big deal for me.I loved Norse mythology in school and I love Rick Riordan’s writing. Super excited to read the adventures of Magnus Chase.

3. The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood September 29th

This is a story about a couple who are living in their car and surviving on tips until they sign up for a social experiment. One that gives them a home and stable jobs, but they have to give up their freedom every second month. They swap the home for a prison cell. I love Margaret Atwood and this sounds too amazing to pass up.

4. Untouchable by S.A. Starcevic Release Date : June 18th

I just love superhero stories that have queer protagonist. This is something I’m really excited for.

Olivia is a book blogger, writer, and an avid reader. On her book blog, and in her Galaxy of Books, she reviews young adult, new adult and romance novels with a particular focus on diverse books. Olivia also creates other fun book related content for her readers.